The Gambia Dedicated for Missionary Work

The Church reported that Apostle Elder D. Todd Christofferson dedicated the West African nation of The Gambia to missionary work on February 24th. Elder Christofferson also met with the Gambian president during his visit and attended the baptism of 11 new converts in Banjul - the Gambian capital. These converts had been taught by missionaries in the Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan West Mission - the mission that includes the country of Senegal. The Gambia remains officially unassigned to a full-time mission. Church membership as of year-end 2021 in The Gambia appeared to total 12, and with the addition of the new converts there are now 23 Latter-day Saints in the country. The Church reported 19 Latter-day Saints in The Gambia in 2013, although there was no organized Church presence or regular contact from area leadership until approximately 2018 when area leadership visited Banjul to meet with isolated members. The population of The Gambia is 2.3 million people. There is now one Latter-day Saint per 96,578 people in The Gambia - a ratio comparable for the Church in India. Leadership from the Africa West Area visited The Gambia in January 2022. The Church has held sacrament meeting services in the home of a member of the Church in Banjul. Also in January, Church leaders conducted the first two temple recommend interviews for members of the Church living in The Gambia who planned to attend the temple for the first time the following month to receive the ordinances of the endowment. 

Like Senegal, the population of The Gambia is overwhelmingly Muslim (96.4%), albeit society is generally tolerant of religious freedom and religious minority groups. With the recent establishment of the Church in neighboring Senegal, Guinea, and Mali, prospects appear favorable for the creation of a mission headquartered in Dakar, Senegal within the near future to provide greater mission president oversight and larger amounts of resources allocated to this region of West Africa where there are no missions headquartered. Currently, countries in the area are assigned to several different missions such as the Cote d'Ivoire Yamoussoukro (Guinea and unofficially Burkina Faso) and Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan East (Mali). There are 90.8 million people who live in Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, and Senegal.

LDS Apostle Visits Guinea, Mali, and Senegal

Elder David A. Bednar became the first LDS apostle to visit the West African nations of Guinea, Mali, and Senegal on a recent trip to the region between May 21st-23rd. A recent article on the Ghana Mormon Newsroom site reported that Elder Bednar met with members of the Dakar Branch in Senegal and offered a special prayer in which he appeared to dedicate the country for missionary work. Elder Bednar also visited with a group of 17 Latter-day Saints and 250 prospective members in the rural village of Tabakoro, Mali. There are now two member groups that operate in Mali at present, including another group that has functioned for several years in Ouélessébougou. Unfortunately, the article does not give any information regarding the Church or Elder Bednar's visit to Guinea. This visit may signal plans in the near future to officially establish LDS congregations in Mali and Guinea, and begin formal missionary activity in Senegal. Currently there are seven West African nations without an official LDS presence, including Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger.

Timor-Leste (East Timor) Dedicated for Missionary Work

In an LDS Church News article published yesterday, the Church announced that Elder Jeffrey R. Holland dedicated Timor-Leste (East Timor) for missionary work last month. Timor-Leste has a homogeneously Christian population and no LDS presence. Investigatory trips from senior missionaries assigned to the Asia Area headquarters occurred several month ago in preparation for opening the country to missionary work. The first senior missionary couple was assigned on August 8th and has been primarily commissioned to begin LDS Charities activities in the country. There are no restrictions on religious freedom in Timor-Leste. Missionary work will commence in the Portuguese language under the Indonesia Jakarta Mission. Timor-Leste became independent from Indonesia in 2002 and currently has a population of 1.3 million.

A cumorah.com case study written in December 2014 entitled "Prospective LDS Outreach in Timor-Leste" can be found here.

Gabon Dedicated for Missionary Work

On November 5th, LDS apostle Elder David A. Bednar dedicated the Central African country of Gabon for missionary work.  Approximately 80 members, investigators, and visitors attended a special fireside held after the historic event.  The Church assigned its first senior missionary couple earlier this year to Gabon and missionaries report that the first young proselytizing missionaries will arrive any day to begin formal proselytism efforts.  The Church organized the Libreville Branch approximately a year ago.  Gabon is assigned to the Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa Mission and has a population of 1.6 million people.  Prospects appear highly favorable for the Church to divide the mission in 2014 and create a separate mission headquartered in Cameroon to service Cameroon and Gabon.

Recent Church Growth News

First LDS branch organized in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

The first LDS branch was recently organized in Uvira, DR Congo.  The Uvira Branch becomes the first LDS branch ever organized in the entire eastern or northern areas of the country.  Beginning in 2008, the Church has begun to organize new branches in previously unreached cities such as Gandajika, Kakanda, Kasumbalesa, Kipushi, Matadi, and Mwene-Ditu but with the exception of Matadi all of these cities are located within a day's drive from a city that already had an LDS congregation.  The organization of the new branch in Uvira was made possible by the opening of Burundi to missionary work one year ago and the diligence of local members in the Uvira area to cross the border and frequently attend church services in Bujumbura.

New branches in Malaysia; new ward in Singapore

Three new branches have recently been organized in Malaysia: The Cheras, Kota Kinabalu 2nd, and Masai Branches.  The Cheras Branch was organized in Kuala Lampur and the Masai Branch was organized in the Johore Bahru area.  A ninth ward in the Singapore Stake was also recently organized.  With ongoing congregational growth in the region, Singapore appears to be a likely candidate for a future temple within the next decade especially when districts in Malaysia mature into stakes. 


Rapid membership growth in Uganda

Full-time missionaries serving in the Uganda Kampala Mission report that the mission has so far in 2011 baptized over 1,600 converts, breaking previous records for the number of converts baptized in a single year since the mission was organized in 2005.  Convert retention appears moderate but particularly high in cities which recently had branches organized (Gulu, Lira, Masaka, Mbale, and Njeru).  Several senior missionary couples have recently been assigned to these cities and are providing valuable humanitarian and development work in addition to often working with church administrative affairs in these newly created branches.  Some of these congregations have over 150 attending church services on Sundays.

Malawi to be dedicated for missionary work

On the heels of the organization of the new Zambia Lusaka Mission and the creation of several new branches and groups in Malawi, members report that Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve will visit Malawi and offer a formal dedicatory prayer for the nation.  Malawi currently pertains to the Zambia Lusaka Mission and LDS congregations operate in Blantyre (4), Lilongwe (3), and Liwonde.  With nearly 16 million inhabitants, Malawi appears a very favorable nation to have its first LDS mission organized in the near future.

Recent Church Growth News

Burundi dedicated for missionary work

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated Burundi for missionary work on October 19th, 2010. Besides a few local members in attendance, only the eight young full-time missionaries and two senior couples who are assigned to Burundi were in attendance. The building in use for church meetings in Bujumbura was remodeled in the past couple weeks as the room used for sacrament meetings was expanded.

Angola dedicated for missionary work

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated Angola for missionary work on October 20th, 2010. The dedication service occurred outside the capital Luanda. Missionaries have served in the country for a couple years now, and the Church has faced challenges obtaining visas for foreign missionaries.

Remote city in interior Peru opens for missionary work

A senior missionary couple serving in the Peru Lima North Mission was been assigned to Nauta, located south of the large city Iquitos. Nauta becomes the first small city outside of Iquitos to open for missionary work in the Amazon Basin of northeastern Peru. Currently there is not organized branch and church services are likely held as a group or dependent branch.

District discontinued in Russia

The Church recently discontinued the Ufa Russia District and the two former branches of the district were consolidated into one branch. The number of congregations in Ufa has steadily declined over the past decade as in 2001 there were four branches. Congregation consolidations have occurred in many areas of Russia over the past 18 months, primarily in areas where there are no local branch presidents or where there are few active members meeting in more than one congregation. Other Russian cities which have experienced congregation consolidations include Vladivostok and Krasnodar, both of which today only have one branch. In the past 12 months, over 10 branches have been discontinued in Russia.

First branch established in western DR Congo outside of Kinshasa

The Church created its first independent branch in western Democratic Republic of Congo outside the capital city of Kinshasa in the large city of Matadi. Matadi is located near the Angolan border and supports a population over a quarter of a million. This is a major development in expanding national outreach in the DR Congo as there has previously been no official church presence anywhere in the region outside of Kinshasa. Most areas in the DR Congo remain far from any operating LDS wards or branches. Most of the Latter-day Saint population resides in the largest cities, mainly Kinshasa and Lubumbashi, but also Kananga, Kolwezi, Likasi, Luputa, Mbuji-Mayi, and Mwene-Ditu.

New Stake in Utah

Last Sunday, the West Haven Utah Stake was created from a division of the Kanesville Utah Stake, which had 12 wards and one branch. There are now 546 stakes in Utah.

New Stake in Texas

Last Sunday, the Waco Texas Stake was created from the Killeen Texas Stake, which had 10 wards and five branches. There are now 56 stakes in Texas.

New Branch in East Malaysia

Missionaries report that a new branch was created in Sarawak, East Malaysia in the small town of Mukah. The Mukah Branch is part of the Sibu East Malaysia District, which now has five branches.

Angola to be Dedicated for Missionary Work

Angolan members report that later this month, an apostle will visit and dedicate Angola for missionary work. Furthermore, a third branch was just created in Luanda, and the city may become a district in the near future. Groups also operate in different areas of the country. The Mozambique Maputo Mission administers Angola and has reported frequent challenges obtaining visas for missionaries. Angola offers tremendous opportunity for church growth, but these prospects will likely not be fully realized unless greater numbers of local members serve full-time missions and are regularly involved in member-missionary work.

Elder Nelson Dedicates Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Slovenia for Missionary Work

An LDS Church News article announced the dedication of six Balkan nations by Elder Nelson in early September, four of which have no official Church presence. Yugoslavia was formerly dedicated as a whole in 1985 and recently Church leadership determined that the individual nations which comprise of the former Yugoslavia were to be rededicated individually. Small groups of members attended the dedications of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Montenegro. In May 2010, the Church created administrative branches in each of these countries to assist in the preparation of opening these nations to missionary work and formal Church activity. None of the the Balkan nations without a Church presence have any legal obstacles barring the Church's establishment, enjoy religious freedom, and many missionary-oriented Christian groups openly perform missionary activity like Seventh-day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses. Some nations in the region do have obstacles for the Church to overcome in order to receive official recognition however, like Bosnia which requires at least 300 adult citizen members to apply as a religious community. One of the major obstacles for the Church in these four nations is that there are few native members. There have been several interested individuals attending church meetings in Kosovo and Bosnia in recent years.

Lebanon Dedicated for the Preaching of the Gospel

Members of the Church in the Middle East report that Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles dedicated Lebanon for the preaching of the Gospel Thursday, October 22nd. Lebanon becomes the first country in the Middle East to be dedicated for missionary work in recent years. The Church stopped publishing information about the Church's presence in Lebanon in the early 2000s. The Deseret News 2003 Church Almanac reported 139 members in one branch back at the end of 2001. Since this time senior missionary couples have served off and on in the capital city of Beirut, where the country's sole branch is established. Lebanon became part of the newly created Middle East Africa North Area in 2008.

There have not been any immediate plans announced for full-time missionaries to begin proselyting in the country according to member reports from the area. There have been a number of Lebanese who have joined the Church in other nations around the world. Missionary work likely occurs through member referrals in Beirut. Lebanon is the country in the Middle East with the highest percentage of Christians (39%). A little over half the population is Muslim. Members report that the government recognizes the Church and likely has official status. Currently the Church is not recognized by most governments in the Middle East.

The Church dedicating Lebanon for the preaching of the Gospel indicates an increased effort to conduct missionary work in Lebanon, likely the result of the many prayers of members in behalf of those areas of the world which were not yet opened to preaching of the Gospel.

Rwanda Dedicated For The Preaching Of The Gospel

The LDS Church News reported that Elder Jeffrey R. Holland dedicated the country of Rwanda for missionary work August 27th. Rwanda has a population of about 10 million people that speaks English, French, Kinyarwanda, and Swahili. Currently Rwanda is part of the Uganda Kampala Mission and will likely receive proselyting missionaries soon. As of now there is only one branch in the country and only 17 members. There have been many baptisms so far this year and attendance at the Kigali Branch has climbed to around 40 or 50 as of last Spring.

Elder Holland Dedicates Cameroon For The Preaching Of The Gospel

Missionaries serving in the Democratic Republic of Congo Kinshasa Mission report that Elder Jeffrey R. Holland from the Quorum of the 12 Apostles dedicated the nation of Cameroon last week for the preaching of the Gospel. Cameroon currently has four branches and one group. Three of the branches are in the capital of Yaounde (Bastos 1st, 2nd and Ekounou), one branch is in Douala, and the single group is also in Douala in the Bonaberi section of the city. Cameroon was transferred to the Democratic Republic of Congo Kinshasa Mission a couple years ago, likely around when Benin and Togo were transferred to the Cote d'Ivoire Abidjan Mission. The DR of Congo Mission includes not only Cameroon and DR of Congo, but also the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea and the Central African Republic.

Unlike the rest of the DR of Congo Kinshasa Mission, Cameroon (as well as the city of Pointe-Noire in the Republic of Congo) has full-time missionaries serving from North America. Cameroon is a French speaking country which is predominately Christian, but also has large numbers of Muslims, who particularly live in the northern provinces of the country. Tribal religions are also widespread. The Church initially established a mission in Cameroon in 1992 in hopes of it providing a base for French language-based missionary work in West Africa. The mission was moved to Cote d'Ivoire the following year. Membership growth was slow in Cameroon and has not increased dramatically until the end of 2004. From the end of 2003 to the end of 2008 membership has increased from 208 to 727 members and branches have increased from one to four. There is still no district in the country.

Lastly I wanted to include that Elder Holland prophesied to those at attendance for the dedication of Cameroon for missionary work that temples will dot Africa as they now dot the rest of the world. Currently there are only three temples in Africa in Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa. Countries which seem most likely to have future temples in the near future announced include the DR of Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, and Zimbabwe.